Name: Auntie Norma’s Chicken Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 8 Servings
Ingredients: 6 bone-in chicken breasts or thighs (or a combination!); 1 cup chopped celery; ½ cup walnuts (or more to taste); ½ cup craisins (or more to taste); ½ cup sliced red or green grapes (optional but highly recommended); 1 cup mayonnaise (Norma’s blend: ½ cup Hellman's + ½ cup Miracle Whip); Juice from ½ a lemon; Salt and pepper to taste

Auntie Norma’s Chicken Salad

Author: Mary DiSomma

When Norma brings her chicken salad (always with a generous bag of fresh croissants), it gets devoured immediately. It’s that good. It’s got nuts and grapes in it, which add a touch of crunchy sweetness—it really takes the flavor of the dish up a notch! It might seem like it doesn’t matter, but Norma uses half Hellmans’ and half Miracle Whip. Believe it or not, it makes a difference. And who doesn’t love a sandwich on a croissant? I’ll tell you a little secret… Before Auntie Norma’s Chicken Salad, I had no idea how to use a croissant for anything other than breakfast. Boy, was I missing out!

Like so many of my favorite recipe shares, this chicken salad is perfect for summer entertaining. If you serve it with mini croissants, it’s the perfect for high tea, ladies’ lunch, or summer picnic. Served with my Favorite White Wine Sangria or Summer Strawberry Lemonade, oh, I’m getting hungry! Did I mention it makes good leftovers? While I’m a huge fan of customizable recipes, I NEVER make changes to this one. It is absolutely perfect the way it is. I wouldn’t dare experiment with it. Seriously—we don’t even mess with the type of mayonnaise Auntie Norma uses. In fact, I remember making one of her potato salads once (incorrectly), and my friend called me out: I hadn’t used the exact ingredients. It might seem like it doesn’t matter, but Norma uses half Hellmans’ and half Miracle Whip. Believe it or not, it makes a difference. Suffice it to say, Norma’s recipes stay as-is… and that’s the way it should be! Be on the lookout for more Auntie Norma specials—I might just share her potato salad recipe too.

Auntie Norma’s Chicken Salad

Walnuts and grapes add a touch of crunchy sweetness to this rotisserie chicken salad, balancing the richness of buttery croissants.

Yield: 8 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes 15 min
Cook Time: 0 minutes0 min
Total Time: 15 minutes 15 min

Ingredients

6 bone-in chicken breasts or thighs (or a combination!)
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup walnuts (or more to taste)
½ cup craisins (or more to taste)
½ cup sliced red or green grapes (optional but highly recommended)
1 cup mayonnaise (Norma’s blend: ½ cup Hellman's + ½ cup Miracle Whip)
Juice from ½ a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

If you need to roast a chicken, try my Spatchcock Roast Chicken recipe below!
If you are starting with a pre-cooked chicken, remove the skin, pull the meat from the bones, and coarsely chop it. Transfer the chopped chicken to a mixing bowl.
Chop the celery and walnuts. Slice the grapes in half.
Add the celery, walnuts, and apples to the mixing bowl along with the whole craisins, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Mix to combine.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, mixing to combine. Serve with croissants or on its own. Enjoy!

Spatchcock Roast Chicken

Crispy skin and juicy meat are the hallmarks of this spatchcock roast chicken, which will cook quickly as part of meal prep for my chicken sandwich, three ways recipe.

Yield: 3-4 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes 15 min
Cook Time: 50 minutes 50 min
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes 1 hr 5 min

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Make sure the legs are pointing away from you. Using a sturdy pair of kitchen shears—poultry scissors are ideal. Work your way from the tail toward the neck and repeat the cut on the other side. Lift out the backbone and you’re good to go! Try to keep your cuts as close to the backbone as possible so you get more meat.
Flip your chicken over so it’s breast-side up. Place the heels of your hands on top of the breastbone and press down firmly until the chicken flattens out. You will likely hear a crack when the breastbone breaks. That's normal! The goal is to get the bird to lie as flat as possible. Pat the chicken dry all over with paper towels. This step makes a difference, especially if crispy skin is your end goal. Use paper towels to thoroughly pat the chicken dry all over before seasoning it.
Combine the baking powder and salt, then evenly rub all over the skin—this helps the skin crisp up. Let the chicken sit uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. This step can be skipped if you are short on time, in which case just rub the bird with salt and proceed to the next step.
Once your chicken is flat and dry, you're ready for the baking powder and salt mixture.
In a small bowl, mix the olive oil with the garlic, black pepper, paprika, oregano and lemon zest. Rub this mixture all over the chicken, making sure to also get under the skin wherever you can.
Place the chicken, skin-side up, on a rack set on a baking tray. You can place it directly on the tray if you don’t have a rack.
Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the skin is golden and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees in the thickest part of the breast and 175 degrees in the thigh.
Let the chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving—this allows it to cool a bit and the juices to settle.